Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-05

Imagine long, narrow room, with very
high ceiling and a door which is almost as
wide as the room itself. The walls are hung
with pictures of rural scenes, and upon
brackets between these are fastened mnia-
ture cows heads. A stuffed COW and calf
stand in one Of the small windows which look
out upon the street, and the pavement out
side is piled high with milk cans. At the
back Of this room there is a counter or bar,
and behind this stand three bartenders, who
draw buttermk, cream or pure milk from so
many faucets in the wall behind them. In
each corner of this wall there is set round,
barrel like, nickel plated reservoir, with a gas
fire blazing away beneath it. This is a
French drip coffee urn, and it has a faucet,
which upon being turned will bring forth as
delicious stream OF as rich coffee as Turk
ever tasted. 1t will be drawn in mug like a
shaving mug, and you will have to hold it in
your hand while drinking it. There are no
tables in these lunch roo1ns and while eating
you either stand with your sandwich or pie in
one hand and your coffee in the other or take
your seat upon the long row of wicker arm
chairs which line each side of the long, mar
row room. The mugs are of two sizes, one five
and the other ten cents in price. The smaller
holds as much coffee as two cups of the Or
binary size, and five cent mug is as much
as any man sh ould drink. The sugar is kept
in two shell like bowls, which are fastened
against the walls, and the customer helps
himself to as many Jumps us he peases. The
eatabies furnished are all good and very
cheap. There is not much variety, and your
bill of fare is: A piece of pie, cents; sand
wich, 5 cents; buttered Maryland biscuit,
as big around as trade dollar, 2 cents, or an
unbuttered one, l cent Two unbuttered bis
cults and a cup of coffee cost cents, and
many pul lie man is satisfied with this At
noon these restaurants are as well wortn a
visit as the halls Of congress. You may see
Gen. Rosecrans and Secretary Fairchild come
over from the treasury and take snack to-
gether, talking busily while they eat vora-
ciousy; or you may see Hyatt, the new
treasurer, eating his pie, while Higgins, the
appointment clerk, is swallowing glars of
milk at gulp Newspaper correspondents
are here by dozens, and bankers, clerks and
lawyers are mixed indiscliminately In the
throng. A few ladies now and then come in
but they are not many. The rules of the es-
tablishnert are cash, and no smoking or
loud talking. *.
There is a restaurant on Pennsylvania
avenue which is noted for its oysters, and its
owner claims to be the inventor of steamed
oysters. You can get these now in any of
the large cities during the season, but / doubt
if you can be as well served elsewhere as
here. A half peck of steamed oysters makes
meal, though hungry man can eat peck.
The oysters are put unopened into wire
basket and are thus steamed. You sit at the
marble counter with a plate before YOU and
you eat the oysters us they are taken steam
ing from the shells by an ebony oyster
sbDpkpr tba,,,
pepper, butter and catsup They must be
done to a turn to be at their best, and when
properly cooked they will tickle the palate of
Sam Ward l saw Ben Butterworth and
Frank HiScock eating here one day. and they
swallowed their oysters as though they liked
them. -
just above this restaurant is Hancock's
saloon, where Calhoun drank sherry, and
where Clay and Webster used to of en- sit
down to quiet game of seven up. This is
one OF the curiosity shops of Washington.
and it has many articles that ought to be n
the National muset,m. Here is an old white
hat which Zach Taylor wore during one of
his Mexican campaigns, pair of old slip.
pers when belonged to George Washington.
and autograph letters of nearly all of the
great men of the nation. Copies of the pi.
bills of the night of Lincoln's Assassination A,
Fords thsatre, the bills Offering the reward
of sl0G, 900 for the arrest of Booth, pieces of
the rope with which Guiteau was hanged.
pictures of all the great rogues of our
history, and Beau Hickmans Old UNI
brclla look down upon YOU from
the cases upon the walls. Here are +,
couple of wine glasses which Frank Per.
once owned, and by their side is one out 81
which Jefferson Davis took his stimnlo,I
when he was secretary of war under him.
There is button which was cut from Jonn
Browns vest after he was hanged at Charles.
ton, Va, and that coffin nail beside il camc
from the coffin of the murderer Guiraar
Everything is full of interest-old flags, &C.,.
nIuSkets, queer pistols, each with history
and while you take your-lemonade--vor,
may meet some of the noted statesmen of ,t..
land who wet their whistles here, as did tie
congressman of forty years ago.
$50
The restaurants of the Capitol are worth n
description, but they are quiet now, and there
will be nothing to see here until congress
meets. In them you get as good cooking rs
can be got anywhere, and the prices are the
same as those of the average restaurant, 1t
is against the rules for them to sell liquors,
but whisky and beer are openly called for
and quickly served in response. Cold tea i,
Seldom used i'm these orders as a blind for ola
Eourbon, but the statesman yells across the
room:
John. bring me q whisky straight and
bring it quickt7
Ii always come, too, though there is rarely
any drnakenness i'll tie Capitol, and drinking
10 excess grows less and less here every wear.